Overview
- Royal Surrey, Epsom and St Helier, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare declared critical incidents, with East Kent also escalating due to pressures at Margate’s Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital.
- NHS Surrey Heartlands integrated care board also declared a critical incident to coordinate support as hospitals manage very high demand and constrained capacity.
- Trusts cite a surge in flu and norovirus, increased staff sickness, complex A&E attendances, and discharge difficulties as the main drivers of pressure.
- Some non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments may be rescheduled, while cancer and other urgent procedures remain prioritized and patients should attend unless contacted.
- Epsom and St Helier reported 45 beds occupied by flu patients and some ward closures, East Kent warned its beds are full and ED attendance is extremely high, and national data show 33% of ambulance arrivals waited at least 30 minutes for handover last week with 12% delayed over an hour, alongside a 27% week-on-week rise in norovirus-like bed occupancy.